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Causes of Oil Rig Explosions

If you or a loved one was injured in an
oil rig explosion, you will probably have many questions on your mind regarding what step
you should take next. Besides dealing with the physical pain and emotional
trauma that follows a serious accident, there may also be questions regarding
what legal action can be taken to protect your rights. If there was any
negligence involved, you could be compensated for what you had to go through. In
order to have a solid case, the true cause of the accident will have to
be determined.

Inherent Dangers of Oil Rigs

Before the causes of oil rig explosions are considered, it is first important
to understand the inherent dangers of oil rigs. Oil rigs are offshore
platforms used to drill wells into the surface of the seabed. These wells
could be oil wells or natural gas wells and the platform contains machinery
and personnel to operate it. Not only are these oil rigs drilling for
flammable materials, but the oil and gas obtained is then stored on the
platform before it is transported back to land.

Health and safety violations should be strictly adhered to so that the
crew is not at risk. This being said, explosions and fires do occur on
these oil rigs. When they do, it can be devastating. Take, for example,
the recent explosion which took place on November 16, 2012. In the Gulf
of Mexico, an oil rig exploded killing some of the workers who were on
the platform. Located off the coast of
Louisiana, the oil rig was a permanent structure and was owned by Black Elk Energy.
The explosion occurred when the crew was splitting pipes with the use
of a cutting torch. This comes on the heels of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy
which led to 11 deaths and billions of dollars in damage. Arnold &
Itkin was able to help victims recover just compensation.

Blowouts & Fires on Oil Rigs

One cause of oil rig explosions is a blowout. A blowout occurs when the
oil or gas erupts from the well. In some cases, this is caused when the
systems monitoring the pressure of the well have failed. These blowouts
used to be much more common as the technology did not exist to accurately
control pressure in the wells. Although less common, blowouts still occur.
The Deepwater Horizon disaster was caused by an underwater blowout.

Fires are another main cause of oil well explosions. Fires could be the
result of an accident, arson, or natural occurrence. Even a small spark
could be enough to cause a major explosion because of the large amount
of fuel on oil rigs. Putting out these flames can prove to be complex
as there is a seemingly endless supply of fuel.

What happens when the equipment is the cause of the explosion?

As mentioned before, if there is a problem with the equipment that monitors
the well, there could be a blowout. A spark from a faulty power tool or
bad wiring could also lead to a massive fire and explosion. There have
also been cases where dangerous fumes have built up because of a failure
in the ventilation system. In other cases, pipes have sprung a leak and
allowed oil and gas to spray out. As the equipment is exposed to the elements
at sea, they can begin to corrode and cause similar problems. In all of
these situations, human negligence may be the real reason.

When safety regulations are ignored, the result can be:

Equipment Failure

Blowout; or

Fire.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration gives strict laws regarding
how oil rigs should be run. If there was a failure to uphold these regulations,
the guilty person could and should be held responsible for what happened.
Our team at Arnold & Itkin is dedicated to determining who was at
fault in these types of accidents. We have been able to secure our clients
billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for what they went through. We understand
how complex these cases can be and want to secure justice for you and
your family.

If you have more questions or want to see how our team could help you,
call today!

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What is it Like To Work
With Arnold & Itkin

Arnold & Itkin represented nearly a third of the crewmembers injured
in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

I encountered professionalism, understanding, compassion… lot of compassion.
They really felt for what me and my wife were going through.

~ Deepwater Horizon Crew Member

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The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

The verdicts and settlements listed on this site are intended to be representative
of cases handled by the maritime lawyers of Arnold & Itkin LLP. These
listings are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any other claims